Tucson Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Child Exploitation Crimes
TUCSON, Ariz. / Friday, October 16, 2026 – A Tucson man will spend two decades in prison after fueling an international child-exploitation ring that broadcasted the real-time abuse of minors.
On Oct. 14, David Berry Garmarnik, 48, of Tucson, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Rosemary Marquez to 20 years in prison. Garmarnik previously pleaded guilty to one count of Attempted Production of Child Pornography.
“Live‑streamed child sexual abuse is one of the most urgent and devastating forms of exploitation, and offenders who fuel it will be met with swift, aggressive, and unrelenting prosecution,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “These crimes inflict real‑time harm on real children, and our office will pursue anyone who participates in this abuse, no matter where they hide or how they operate. We are grateful to HSI for its relentless work in dismantling international trafficking networks and for ensuring that those who prey on children are brought to justice.”
“This case demonstrates the devastating reality of child exploitation, and the lengths offenders will go to abuse children and conceal their crimes. HSI is committed to identifying these offenders, dismantling the networks that enable their abuse, and working with our domestic and international law enforcement partners to ensure they are held accountable. Protecting children and pursuing those who exploit them remains a priority for HSI, wherever these crimes lead us,” said Jason Stevens, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Phoenix.
According to the plea agreement, Garmarnik admitted that he requested and directed sexually explicit conduct of children under the age of 12 and in some cases as young as 7. Additional court records show that HSI identified David Berry Garmarnik as a participant in an international child‑exploitation network that live‑streamed the sexual abuse of minors for paying offenders around the world. Investigators linked Garmarnik to more than 100 online interactions with known or suspected traffickers between 2017 and 2022. Records obtained from Microsoft showed thousands of messages, media files, and call logs consistent with child‑exploitation activity.
In addition, financial subpoenas revealed that Garmarnik sent over 100 payments to individuals in the Philippines with no legitimate connection to him, including a known trafficker whose operation involved the abuse of children as young as two years old. After search warrants were executed, Garmarnik admitted he had paid for approximately 100 live‑streamed shows involving minors. He also acknowledged downloading child sexual abuse material and communicating with traffickers using his Skype account.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Homeland Security Investigations – Tucson conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel J. Walters and Jennifer H. Berman, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 24-CR-08214-TUC-RM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-177_Garmarnik
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
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Contact
Public Affairs
Esther J. Winne
Telephone: (602) 514-7740
Esther.Winne@usdoj.gov
Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Arizona
